This invention relates to an image pickup apparatus for use in picking up a seamless panoramic image in a multi-screen.
A conventional image pickup apparatus of the type described comprises first, second, and third cameras. The first camera has a first angle of view which is capable of picking up a first image of an object therein and which has a first left and right side boundary lines. The second camera has a second angle of view which is capable of picking up a second image of an object therein and which has a second left and right side boundary lines. The third camera has a third angle of view which is capable of picking up a third image of an object therein and which has a third left and right side boundary lines.
However, the first angle of view and the second angle of view are overlapped with each other to form a cross angle of view while the second angle of view and the third angle of view are overlapped with each other to form another cross angle of view. Accordingly, an object, which is positioned in the cross angles of views, is picked up to be displayed as overlapped images in the multi-screen. On the other hand, it is inevitably caused to occur that some areas are not covered by any of the first, the second, and the third angles of views in the conventional image pickup apparatus. As a result, an object is never picked up by the first, the second, and the third cameras, when the object is positioned in the aforesaid uncovered areas. Consequently, the object is not displayed in the multi-screen.
Thus, in the conventional image pickup apparatus, it is inevitable that an overlap or a lack of image is caused to occur in the multi-screen.